Minnesota Wild (22-14-2) 46pts 2nd in the Northwest
2.60 Goals For (16th)
2.53 Goals Against (11th)
18.5% Power Play (13th)
82.4% Penalty Kill (13th)
Top 5 Scorers:
1. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 9G 24A = 33pts
2. #11 Zach Parise ~ 15G 17A = 32pts
3. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 4G 25A = 29pts
4. #29 Jason Pominville ~ 11G 16A = 27pts
5. #7 Matt Cullen ~ 7G 18A = 25pts
Top 3 PIM's:
1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 98 PIM's
2. #27 Mike Rupp ~ 65 PIM's
3. #44 Justin Falk ~ 38 PIM's
Top Goaltender(s):
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (20-10-2) 2.44GAA .913%SP 2SO
2. #35 Darcy Kuemper (1-2-0) 1.98GAA .923%SP
3. #37 Josh Harding (1-1-0) 2.92GAA .885%SP 1SO
Vs.
Chicago Blackhawks (29-5-4) 62pts 1st in the Central
3.24 Goals For (1st)
2.08 Goals Against (2nd)
16.9% Power Play (21st)
85.6% Penalty Kill (5th)
Top 5 Scorers:
1. #88 Patrick Kane ~ 20G 26A = 46pts
2. #19 Jonathan Toews ~ 19G 21A = 40pts
3. #81 Marian Hossa ~ 13G 10A = 23pts
4. #20 Brandon Saad ~ 9G 13A = 22pts
5. #2 Duncan Keith ~ 2G 20A = 22pts
Top 3 PIM's:
1. #52 Brandon Bollig ~ 47 PIM's
2. #65 Andrew Shaw ~ 30 PIM's
3. #2 Duncan Keith ~ 29 PIM's
Top Goaltender(s):
1. #50 Corey Crawford (15-4-4) 2.01GAA .922%SP 2SO
2. #30 Ray Emery (14-1-0) 2.02GAA .920%SP 2SO
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"We're all living in Amerika, Amerika is wunderbar, we're all living in Amerika, Amerika Amerika, We're all living in Amerika, Coca-Cola, Wonderbra, We're all living in Amerika," this is the lyrics to German Heavy Metal band Rammstein. I was listening to this song last night and it struck me that the Minnesota Wild are probably one of the more American teams in the league in regards to its roster. I am not saying this out of some notion of nationalism, but just a recognition the team has shifted from being a team almost entirely made of Canadians (especially during the years where General Manager Doug Risebrough was running the show) to one where American-born players are evenly more or less evenly distributed throughout the lineup. Don't be believe me?
Zach Parise – Minneapolis, MN
Matt Cullen – Moorhead, MN
Charlie Coyle – East Weymouth, MA
Tom Gilbert – Bloomington, MN
Mike Rupp – Cleveland, OH
Nate Prosser – Elk River, MN
Ryan Suter – Madison, WI
You could almost toss onto that list Jason Pominville who now plays for Team USA in international competition despite being born in Quebec. The Wild also have Las Vegas, Nevada-native Jason Zucker waiting for his next call up too. Before anyone accuses me of hating on the rest of the team I'm not. I personally do not care where any player is from as long as they help the team win games. We certainly have lots of crucial parts of the roster that are not from the United States. Its just the subtle transition for a team that now leans heavily on talent from below the 48th Parallel.
Now for the game, the Wild rebounded nicely after a stumble of losing 3-straight to earn a quality 3-0 win against a motivated Columbus team on Sunday night. Minnesota was better in its own zone and some timely contributions on the power play were enough to earn a win in Nationwide Arena, a place they normally struggle. However despite the good feelings from Sunday the Wild will have to put that at the back of their minds when they play Chicago tonight.
Chicago are the strongest and deepest team in the Western Conference. They can roll 3 lines that can light the lamp as well as dominate you physically. Led by Patrick Kane and 'Captain Serious' Jonathan Toews the Blackhawks have that lethal combination of an explosive offense which can make leads disappear quickly and a suffocating defense which can frustrate you to no end. The supporting cast features veterans Marian Hossa who can still dangle with the best of them as well as underappreciated sniper Patrick Sharp. Rookie Brandon Saad put on a show against the Wild the last time these two clubs played on March 5th. Saad has been finding himself on the scoresheet more frequently as of late. Another player who killed the Wild in that March 5th game was 4th liner, and big bodied forward Bryan Bickell who scored twice. I do not think its necessary to do anything special defensively just to stop Bickell and Saad but its important to recognize that this team has guys that can finish effectively all over its lineup. Former Vermont Catamount Viktor Stalberg and David Bolland give the team a great counterpunching 3rd line. Do you get the sense that this team is a little dangerous offensively?
On the back end the Blackhawks have another stable of riches in Brent Seabrook, and mobile puck mover Duncan Keith. Former Wild 1st round pick, Nick Leddy has had a strong season for the Blackhawks while Johnny Oduya is a smart defenseman who can make the quick pass to start the rush. Niklas Hjarlmarsson and veterans Sheldon Brookbank and Michal Rozsival round out one of the best bluelines in the NHL. Between the pipes, opponents do not get any breaks either as the Blackhawks have the best 1-2 goaltending tandem in the NHL season in Corey Crawford and Ray Emery who virtually split time all season. Both are playing very well, no doubt helped by the Blackhawks excellent blueline but this no longer seems to be the weakness it once was.
Demoralized yet?
You shouldn't be. Yes, the Wild are 1-1 against Chicago this season, having managed to hand the Blackhawks its first loss of any kind (a shootout loss) during its remarkable start of 24 games without a regulation loss. The Wild always seem to raise its game a little against Chicago and with what looks to be a great rivalry the two clubs seem to bring it well on the national stage. Tonight is no different as they are the feature game on NBC Sports Network this evening. So we should enjoy the opportunity to hear Mike 'Doc' Emrick and Chicago-native Eddie Olczyk along with Pierre Maguire who will no doubt help those playing the Shattuck-St. Mary's drinking game during the broadcast. 3 Shots if somehow he mentions Sidney Crosby having played there. 2 Shots for Toews. I will do my best to keep a Shattuck count on our Twitter Feed @StateofHckyNews. All silliness besides its a chance for the Wild to make a statement.
Its a chance for the Wild to show the rest of the Western Conference that this team is not toast despite suffering some injuries to its lineup. With the news that Dany Heatley is lost for the season due to shoulder surgery opponents needs to see this team has plenty of punch and snarl and is no longer the one-trick pony it was for so long. This team has depth but it will be up to the 2nd and 3rd lines to deliver it. I think the 2nd line will be under the microscope especially as Pierre-Marc Bouchard and rookie Mikael Granlund need to prove they can find ways to be effective against bigger, more physical teams like Chicago will be. Devin Setoguchi also needs to find a way to get involved and even if it means just racing up the ice and leaving his linemates behind he needs to use his speed in order to be effective. Even if he attempts a few solo charges into the Chicago end it might be helpful to put a bit more pressure on the Blackhawks' stellar defensive corps. Cal Clutterbuck, Kyle Brodziak, and Charlie Coyle were more involved on Sunday and the Wild will need to see a repeat performance from this line. The 4th line (nudge nudge Zenon Konopka and will have to avoid taking stupid penalties, because Blackhawks' Head Coach Joel Quenneville's club may be big and tough but they take very few retaliatory penalties and like a good team Chicago makes you pay for those kinds of mistakes.
Without question the Wild will have to lean heavily on its workhorses of the 1st line of Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Jason Pominville who look to be a very potent combination as they cycle the puck very effectively and already appear to have a tremendous amount of chemistry for a grouping that has played just two games together. The Wild will also lean heavily on Ryan Suter who leads league in average time on ice at just over 27 minutes per game. Suter played over 30 minutes against Columbus and his comfort level right now is quite high and he continues to be a force at both ends of the ice. In fact, I really think Ryan Suter should be in the running for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman. While his 4 goals don't provide the sexy stat appeal of a P.K. Subban he's still 2nd in the NHL in points from a blueliner. Gushing about Suter aside, the team will also need a strong game from his partner in crime the sublime Jonas Brodin. Brodin is a darkhorse candidate to win the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie, and while this shortened season hurts his chances of getting noticed because Eastern teams haven't seen him play he is truly remarkable for being only 19-years old. The small little plays he makes demonstrates an on-ice awareness that is truly exceptional and which is why so many believe he's a superstar in the making. That's right, I said superstar not star or just a very good player. I won't take the time to compare him to a certain future Hall of Fame Detroit Red Wings defenseman because its been said so many times already but he does have that Jedi-like awareness to think the game two or three steps ahead of his peers. He certainly will have another good test of his great skills tonight.
The Wild will have to hope Niklas Backstrom can put together a remarkable performance if the Wild are to have a chance in this game. A few softies and this team's chances to win are gone. The Blackhawks simply don't give up enough goals to be able to spot them any points whatsoever. Points in the standings are again crucial as Vancouver keeps winning and Wild want to do whatever it can to continue to separate itself from those clubs scratching and clawing at the edge of the playoff window. This is one of those instances where even sending a game into overtime isn't such a bad thing as Chicago is so far ahead there is no sense worrying about them getting an extra point. Just win baby. Enough said!
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